Composite railway-tie



W. H. ELLIOTT.

COMPOSITE RAILWAY TIE. APPLICATION FILED 050.3,1919.

1,33 1,809. Patente Feb. 24, 1920.

I t l/ Jnv ewltov, I. 11.." mzzmmzfz'mm H 122 '55 f" I W. 6, I I [la EaI UNITED S ENT oFFIcE.

WILLIAM HoWE LnLLIo'r'r, or WASHINGTON, DISTRICT or, COLUMBIA.

COMPOSITE RAI WAY-T n. 1

l 5 fin rifw of tters a ent Patented-Feb. 24,1920.

Application filed December 3, 1919. Serial No. 342,099.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, WILLIAM H. ELLIOTT, a citizen of the United States,residing at Washington, in the District of Columbia, have invented newand useful Improvements in Composite Railway-Ties, of which thefollowing is a specification.

The object of my present invention is the provision of a simple,inexpensive and durale railway tie, of composite type, and one in whichthe weight imposed on the rails is adequately cushioned and undue noise,is eliminated.

To the attainment of the foregoing, the invention consists in theimprovement as hereinafter described and definitely claimed.

In the accompanying drawings, hereby made a part hereof:

Figure 1 is a broken view showing in side elevation a tie constructed inaccordance with my invention. 7

Fig. 2 is a fragmentary view taken at right angles toFig. 1, and showinga plurality of the ties in end elevation.

Fig. 3 is a detail view of a modification.

Similar numerals designate corresponding parts in Figs. 1 and 2 to whichreference will first be had. 7

The rails 1 andthe rail-holding elements 2 are not of the essence of myinvention, and may, therefore, be of any appropriate construction.

My novel tiecomprises lower and upper metallic sections 3, preferably ofwrought iron, and corresponding in 7 length and width, and interposedand comparatively short sections 4 of a comparatively soft metal oralloy, preferably copper. Any approved means may be employed "to tie orconnect the sections 3 and 4 together and to the rail-holding elements2, without afiecting my invention, though I prefer to employ bolts 5 forthe purpose; the said bolts being provided with heads 6, disposed incountersinks in the under side of the lower section 3, and beingequipped with nuts 7 The sections 4 are separated by an interveilingspace 8, and are spaced from the ends of the sections 3, as indicated by9. By reason of this arrangement of the comparatively soft metallicsections 4 relatively to the metallic sections 3, and the railssuperimposed upon the upper section 3 above and in the same verticalplanes as the sections 4, the capacity of the sections 4 to cushion therails and to lessen noise incidental to trains traversing the rails, ismaterially increased. This will be fully understood when it is statedthat the hard metal sections 3 are free to move toward each otherbetween the sections 4, and also beyond the outer ends of the sections4, so that in effect the sections 4 alone sustain the, upper section 3and rails 1, and the weights imposed on the latter.

While I prefer to employ interposed sections of comparatively soft metalor alloy in combination with the hard metal sections 3, I do not desireto be understood as confining myself to such interposed sections. 7 Thisis exemplified in Fig. 3 wherein I show as interposed between the hardmetal or wrought iron sections 3, a comparatively soft section 4" ofwood, fiber or the like, and in this connection it is to be understoodthat when wood or fiber sections 4 are employed, they will be arrangedin the same manner as the soft metal sections 4 in Fig. 1,.relatively tothe sections 3, the rail-holding elements 2 and the bolts 5.

In addition to the practical advantages ascribed to my novel tie, itwillbe appreciated that the tie is not unduly expensive, is well adapted towithstand the usage to which railway ties are ordinarily subjected, and,in proportion to its strength and durability, is light in weight. k

Having described my invention, what I claim and desire to secure byLetters-Patent, is:

1. A composite railway tie comprising upper and lower hard-metalsections correspending in length and width, comparatively short and softmetallic sections interposed between the hard-metal sections andseparated by an intervening space and also separated by spaces from theends of the hard-metal sections, rail-holding elements on the upperhard-metal section in vertical alinement with the interposed sections,and means connecting the hard-metal sections together and to theinterposed metallic sections. 7

2. A composite railway tie comprising upper and lower hard-metalsections corresponding in length and width, comparatively short and softcushioning sections interposed between the hard-metal sections andseparated by an intervening space and also separated by spaces from theends of the hard-metal sections, rail-holding elements on the upperhard-metal section in yertical'alinement with the interposed secmetalsections, rail-holding elements on the tions, and means connecting thehard-metal upper' sections, and means connecting the sections togetherandto theinterposed cushhard-metal sections togetherand to the in- 10ioning sectlons. terposed soft-metal means. 7 V 3. A composite railwaytie comprising In testimony whereof, I hereunto aflix my upper and lowerhard-metal sections, soft "signature.

metal means interposed between said hard. WILLIAM HOWELL ELLIOTT.

